A company known as GEARWARD is offering compact spools of low-bulk survival cord that’s stronger than battle-tested 550 cord, GEARWARD officials boast.

To me, 550 cord has no equal. It’s strong, compact and easy to work with. But it’s more than that — 550 cord is used as suspension lines on tactial parachutes. It’s a common thread between paratroopers and parachutists — past, present and future.

Having said that, I’m always open to new ideas. GEARWARD founder, Mark Greenman, recently reached out to us about his new Compact Survival Cord products, and I have to say they do look interesting.

Compact Survival Cord “represents a serious leap forward when compared to traditional 550 paracord. By combining high-tech cordage with a unique spool design, CSC allows the soldier to carry far more cordage than was previously possible, and most importantly, allows them to deploy it at a moments notice,” Greenman said. “Compared to traditional 550 Paracord, CSC is significantly smaller and lighter – while still being strong enough to count on in an emergency.”

GEARWARD offers three versions of CSC.

The Small is the high performance version of CSC. It’s the heaviest in the line and similar in size to 550 cord. It contains 50 feet of Technora line, which has a break strength of over 600 pounds, in a package small enough to fit in your back pocket.

The Mini is the most popular version of the CSC lineup, GEARWARD officials maintain. It contains 60 feet of 200-pound test Kevlar line, in a package smaller than a can of chewing tobacco. This allows you to carry a tremendous amount of cord in either your pocket or your gear bag.

The Micro is the smallest version of the CSC lineup. It contains 25 feet of Kevlar line.

The 200-pound Kevlar line is made of 3 twisted Kevlar strands. When broken down, 60 feet of Kevlar 200 line produces 180 feet of Kevlar thread, with a break strength of approximately 60 pounds. This Kevlar thread can be used for sewing, fishing, or shelter building.

The CSC-Small will cost you $15. The Mini size costs $10. The Micro size comes in a two pack for $10.